Multiple cavity mold for single tube tires and the like



Aug. 29, 1950 J. A. KARNs MULTIPLE cAvITY MOLD FOR SINGLE TUBE TIRES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 30, 1946 A Trb/.5

' Y @za/@WMM Patented Aug. 29,l 1950 vuNrrED STATES. .PATENT oFF-1er:

,y MULrIrLE oAvIrY MOLD. ron. simona rues; f riens aan. ma

`James/A. Karns, Akron, Ohio.

Application-'Nvemherm lr Serial Nolfll.

(Cl. 18e-,48

1 Glaim. l

This invention relates to molds for tires andthe. use, and, more particularly, is concerned with multiple cavity molds for vulcaniaing single tubo tires of the type used on childrens velocipedes, wheelbarrows, light vindustrial, trucks 'and the, like,

Heretofore, it has been the conventionaly pliagtice to vulcanize single tube tiresV in two, .port molds, a plurality of the molds. being piled one on top of the other, and with the pile of molds being positioned in a noty heater or steam jacket, with, hydraulic ram means for pressing the pile of molds tightly together, and v vithv Asteam being circulated through the pot or jacket, containing the molds to eiect vnlsanizeton of 'the tires in the mold. This process isrelatively smv/requires very considerable space, and relatively .expensivel equipment, and ties up molding and heating equipment. Watch case type molds have been suggested and. used heretofore inl conjunction with.

from'staclred positionwith each moldv part-being; '3.

steam iacketed and connected` by a flexible steam. conduit totheadjacent mold part whereby steam.V can be continuously passed through they mold: partswit-h the mold parts in eitheropen ormoldf. ing;` position.

Another object oi my invention is to provide. a, mold.- of thev character described in which theplue, rality of. mold-parts when moved'toitheopenposia tion are-supported in spaced relation toeachotherr soas to. permit the removal or entry or av tire;- fromeach of the molds. y

Another object or" my inventionis the provision.`

ofa multi-part mold having more than two tire:

molding cavities. therein, with meansfor quickly: but positively and releasably lockingV the mold parts together.

Another object vof myv invention is. to Vprovide single` tube tire molds having. .built in` piercing needles. I

Another object of the invention is 'to provide a Atire mold having more than two mol-di parts; but with at least one of the mold parts loeingfl movably mounted and counter-weighted: for movement. I The foregoing objects of my invention, andi other objects which will become apparent as fthe description proceeds, are achieved by they pre, visionV ofa mold for single tube tires or the like.'A including a stack of more lthan two registering; butk separable mold parts, each adjacent'pairfofjV mold. parts, having complementary cavities, eachj mold part being steam jacketed and ilexiblef steam conduits connecting the steam jackets of each mold part to the next adjacent moldI part: so as to provide a path for the ilovvv of lsteam; heat through the mold parts whether they'ari open or closed. i y The improved vmold includes means pivotallyr` supporting all but,l the .bottom mold part for-movey ment. to arid.'A from closed position, counter-" weight means on at least one mold part', the; mold parts. when in open position being heldin spaced relation to each other to allow entry orA removalof tiresfrom the mold parts. Quickly lreeV leasableA hinged screw clamps are used for hold'- ing, the-` mold parts tightly together,4 and release'- able lock means are normally incorporated with; the mold fork holding the screw clamp nclainpI ing position. 2

lFor a. .better understanding of theY invention', reference should be had to the` accompany. drawings, wherein; Fig., 1 is a planv Viewl of a typical molii` colzporating thefeatures of the invention.; Fig. 2 isa front elevation of the mold' shown iii-Fig. 1.;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mold illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2; Y

Fig. i is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken. Sllbstantiauy onl line IV-IV of Fig. 3; ,z

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view.- ta` substantially on line V-V of. Fig. 2 and Eig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional illustrating a removable piercing needle for .aps plying` air under pressure to, thev interior. otthe tires -being vulcanized. A :Inthe drawings, the numeral Illl indicates@ bedlor table on which the mold is mountedp The; moldcomprises a plurality of more than two,but"v conveniently three mold parts I2, I4 and; 16.] The bottom mold part IE is ordinarily secured tov the base Illiinany. permanent manner, for example', bolts I il.I The: several mold partsmaybeplfit'? videclvvithV any desired registering meansslielia as dowel pins. but preferably registration orv alignA 1 achieved by the provision of laterally-spaced hinge brackets 20 which are secured to the bottom` mold part I6, and which rest on the base I 0.

The hinge brackets 20, as best seenin Fig.- 1, are laterally spaced and are connected by a .hingepin 22. Spaced arms 24 are secured to the interasado mediate mold part I4, and the arms 24 are pro.- 1

vided with vertically-oblong holes 26 which; receive the pin 22. Secured to the ends of the arms .24 are counter-weights 28 which substantially Vcounter-balance the weight of the mold part I4.

The arms 24 are moved from the full line position shown in Fig. 3 to the dotted line position lwhen* theA mold is opened. The oblong holes 26 .in the arms 24 permits the proper registration of the :moldfpart I4-with respect to the -base .mold

32Min spaced arms 34 secured tothe top mold part,|2. The top mold part I2 is adapted tobe.`

moved lfrom* the full line position shown in Fig.' Zitol the dotted line position shown when. theA Iold is opened, and extensions 35 of the .hinge bfifackets 2U support'theA top mold part I2 when iin the open position.V A Vhandle 38 on the top V:mold Vpart'and a'h'andle 39 Yon the intermediate.. mold Ypart serve to permitfth'e operatorto move the mold parts from open'to closed positionfand 4I and 43 on the complemental mold aire gnrally provided'in case itshouldbec'me necessary to break'the mold parte by means 'foi' a crowbar if they should stick. Ordinarilyl the operator can rather easily break the mold parts apartby grasping the handles 38 and39J in turn` and lifting'the Vmold .parts to` 'their' openposi tion ff'It will be'recogn'ized that when the mold"parts' alie `rrv'ecl toV their open'position byfthehinges'.' described, 'tires can b e removed from` the' mold parts .andunvulcaniz'ed tires placed in the'rcavf ities thereof Withoutjthe operator having to use aV l'iadto hold or support 'anymold 'partf 'Complementary molding' cavities are] provided .between adjacent surfaces of the several mold parts,'the molding cavities being indicated bythe :is 1m ferals im;Y 42, 4d; and 46; Vlit' Willbe noted" thatthe complementary cavities 49"and;42are Y ncentri'cfwith each other, thatl is, the cavity 4,2 Nis positionedradially Vinside ofjth'e "cavity'lilj ri'di'n the same manner the cavity-Mis vposi-v.

tioned concentric with and radially inside ofth'e cavity `44.Y This makes possible the v'ulcaniza-v a larger bead diameter' are simultaneously vulcanized' in the cavities 4B and 44.- It is possible avides 42 andas at the Ysame umeasjtnesof to utilize more than two concentric cavities if tires of Amore' thanl two sufficiently 'dier'entbead diameters are tofbeA vulcanized simultaneously; l A

rThecavities 4@ and i2 are formedby comple'- v a d tlie'bottom mold part l5.

'jacketed. rlhis is achieved in the `manner.besty illustratedjin Fig. 1 by drilling `fourjholesv brackets 2i! support a second pin.- which is received in vertically-oblongv holes.

52, 54, and 56 from front to back of each mold part, and two holes 58 and 60 from left to right of each mold part. Then by providing plugs 62, 64, 66, 68, Ill, 12, '14, 16, i8, 80 82, 84 and 86, in the manner shown in Fig. 1, an undulating or back and forth passage for steam is provided in each mold part, the steam taking the path indicated by the dotted line B8. A iieXible steam line 90 is connected to the upper mold part I2, the upper mold part is connected by a ilexible steam line 92 to the intermediate mold part, a flexible steam line 94 connects the intermediate mold part to the bottom mold part I6, and an exhaust steam line 96 is onnected to exhaust the steam from the bottom mold part. It will a thus be recognized that steam is continuously vAssociated With each of the cavities 40, 4 2, .4@

and 'are hollow piercing needles 10U, 02; |04, and |06. These piercing needles, which are exaggerated in size to permit clearer illustration in the drawing, may be built permanently into the mold cavities so that when a green tire is placedv in each mold cavity the operator can press the" tire over the needle to insure that the piercing needle will pierce into the inside of the tire. Or the built-in piercing needles can be positioned to pierce upon the closing of the mold. The piercing needles function when the mold is closed to supply fluid under pressure, such as air, hot Water, or steam, to the interior of the tires dur-r ing the vulcanizinnr operation, with the fluidi acting to force the tire out tightly into engagement with the cavity. It is possible, as shown in Fig. 6, to employ a removable piercing needle IDI in association with the cavities, the single hollow piercing needle functioning to supply fluid under pressure to the tires T in the concentric cavities. This needle has one opening at the' end of the needle and one a spaced distance up the side of the needle. The diameter of the'I needle has been exaggerated in Fig. 6 to better illustrate its position and structure, actually the needle is only -fg to 35 of an inch in diameter' compared to the several inches or more'diameter of the tires. Y

Means are provided for securing the several mold parts together in a quickly releasable inanner, and this is achieved by the provision of a bolt IIB at each side of the mold, each boltbeing pivotally secured at H2 to lugs formed on the bottom-mold part I6. YThe upper moldV parti? is provided with forked lugs H4, the bolts being` adapted to be swung up between the fork of the lugs II4. Each bolt IIO is flattened, as vat II. so that the bolt will slide very snugly between the legs of the lugs H4, and each bolt has a handled nut II8 screwed on its top, with the handled nut beingadapted to be turned down against the lugs |44 to draw the mold parts togetller in tight molding relation. The top of the lugs I I4 are preferably formed with ay circularv recess-i2!) which receives .the lower end of tlie nut I I8, and which may also receive a bronzewasher |22 secured to the lower end cf'the nut I I8 jto .provide Va cushioning and lubricating ac'- tionbetween the nut I I8 and its circular seat'lflll l[have found that Withthelockingmean sufficiently accurate alignment of the mold parts. As a safety measure. I may lock each bolt ||`0 in the forked lugs ||`4 by a bar |26 which is l pivotally mounted at one end to one side of thel lug H4, and which is supported at its other endj by a, hooked stop |28. Thus, it is necessary to swing the bar |26 from its full line position shown'c ,V in Fig. 3 to its dotted line position before the!A bolt ||0 can be moved out of the forked lug IllP The mold assembly described is provided withv suitable vent openings to allow the escape of` air from the mold cavities, and I provide a cen-QV tral opening |30 down through the center of thegiV mold to assist in the venting action.

From the foregoing, it will be recognized that the various objects of my invention have been achieved by the provision of an improved mold for vulcanizing simultaneously a. plurality of" single tube tires. The mold is relatively inexpen'gv sive, is very rapid in the vulcanizing cycle,

easy to handle by the operator after a of training, has many of the advantages of watch f case individual tire molding without the ,Y

vantages of the high cost and great space coiifi sumption. Heat looses are kept to a minimum, heat is applied to the mold parts immediately behind and adjacent to the molding cavities, vulcanizing efliciencies are improved and loading and unloading of the mold because of the built-in piercing pins and counter-balance arrangement is greatly facilitated. y

While in accord with the patent statutes, one embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated in detail. it is to be particularly understood that I am not to be limited thereto or thereby, but that the scope of the invention is defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A mold for vulcanizing tires or the like including a stack of at least two registering but separable mold parts, each adjacent pairof mold parts having complementary cavities, at least a pair of screw means pivotally secured to one of the mold parts, at least several pair of spaced lingers on another of the mold parts, each screw means being adapted to be moved between a pair of spaced fingers, a nut on each screw means being adapted to be screwed down against the top of the iingers to lock the mold parts together, and a safety bar removably closing the open end of each pair of iingers to lock the screw means in operative position.

' JAMES A. KARNS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record! in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 551,741 Wolcott Dec. 17, 1895 658,472 Seiberling Sept. 25, 1900 1,163,987 Eggers Dec. 14, 1915 1,505,816 Steele Aug. 19, 1924 1,562,548 Freedlander et al. NOV. 24, 1925 1,576,061 Pade Mar. 9, 1926 2,004,800 Rogers June 11, 1935 2,028,618 Macbeth Jan. 21, 1936 2,029,060 Cozzo Jan. 28, 1936 2,113,776 Smith Apr. 12, 1938 2,331,630 Rempel Oct. 12, 1943 2,411,687 James Nov. 26, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 292 Australia Jan. 19, 1931 of 1931 

